Mattress handle



May 2, 1961 M. BEcHlK MATTRESS HANDLE Filed sept. 2s, 1959 INV ENTOR. McHAEL, .BEcH/K Flc. I

AT TORNEVS v HANDLE Michael Bechilt, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to lechlk Prod- -ucts Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota -i Filed Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,632

1 Claim. (Cl. 5 '345) United States Patent' 0 The primary object of my invention is the provision of a novel combination of elements including a separate Ventilating element which may be inexpensively formed from plastic material land the like and which may be installed in operative position in a minimum of time and with a minimum of skill after the handle has been applied to the mattress wall by conventional tubular grommets.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a View in front elevation of my novel structure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end portion of my novel handle showing the back construction; and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the ventilator element of my novel handle, as seen from the inner end thereof.

Referring with greaterparticularity to :the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the side wall of a conventional mattress or the like. Overlying the outer surface 2 of the mattress wall 1 and extending longitudinally thereof is an elongated handle identified in its entirety by the numeral 3. The handle 3 includes a relatively narrow intermediate gripping portion 4 which, preferably and as shown, is offset from but parallel to the wall 1, and enlarged anchoring heads 5 at its opposite ends. The anchoring heads 5 are provided with transverse apertures 6.

Overlying the inner surface 7 of the mattress wall 1 are a pair of anchoring washers 8, one each being in concentric relationship to an aperture 6 in the anchoring heads 5. Conventional .tubular grommets 9 extend through the apertures 6in the anchoring heads 5, through apertures 10 in the mattress walls 1 and through apertures 11 ina cooperating anchoring washer 8. As shown, the anchoring heads 5 are preferably provided with annular recesses l2 about the outer ends of the apertures 6 therein. The outer end portions of the grommets 9 are radially outwardly flared or crimped as at 13 to overlie and engage the wall surfaces 14 defined by the recesses 12. On thev other hand, the inner ends of the grommets 9 are radially outwardly ilared or crimped.

as at 15 and overlie and tightly engage the washers 8 about the margins of the apertures ll'therein.

The handle 3 is formed from suitable iiexible resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene, and in order to prevent relative rotation of the anchoring heads 5 thereof, about the axes of their respective apertures 6, the samel To inexpensively finish olf my handle, as above de scribed, and to conceal .the open outer ends 13 of the grommets 9, I provide Ventilating elements, identilied in their' entireties by the numeral 18 which likewise are formed from any suitable liexible plastic material, such as polyethylene. The Ventilating elements 1S include circular plate-like outer end portions 19 having circumferentially and radially spaced apertures 20 therethrough, the centermost of which communicate with the integrally formed inwardly projecting tubular breather pipe extensions 21. Preferably and as shown, the breather pipe extensions 21 contain circumferentially spaced axially extended inwardly opening slots 22. Also as shown, the walls 23 of the breather pipe extensions 21 increase in thickness from the plate-like outer end portions 19 to points of maximum diameter 24 intermediate the ends of the slots 22, and preferably and as shown in rather closely spaced relation tothe extreme inner ends 25 of the breather pipe extensions 21. The normal diameter of the breather pipe extensions 21 at their points of maximum diameter 24 is greater than lthe internal diameter of the grommets 9. Therefore, for the purpose of facilitating insertion thereof through the grommets 9, I preferably taper the walls 23 of the breather pipe extensions 21 in the opposite direction from the points 24 to the free inner ends 25 thereof, the external diameter of the breather pipe extensions 21 at the free inner ends 25 -being less than the internal diameter of the grommets 9. Finally, the longitudinal dimensions of the breather pipe extensions 21 -from the plate-like outer ends 19 thereof to their points of maximum diameter, as indicated by the numeral 24, are at least as great as and preferably slightly greater than the longitudinal dimensions of the grommets 9, when the grommets are in the crimped position of Fig. 2.

When it is desired to place the Ventilating element 18 shown in Fig. 4 in the operative position of Fig. 2, the operator merely inserts the reduced end 25 of the breather pipe extension 21 into the iiared outer end of the grommet 9 and pushes inwardly upon the platelike outer end 19, whereby to reduce the diametrical dimensions of the breather pipe extension 21 as the slots 22 therein are reduced in transverse width, as indicated in Fig. 2. As the points of maximum diameter 24 pass beyond the flared inner ends of the grommets 9, the walls thereof iiare outwardly as they tend to return to their normal dimensions. This arrangement quite obviously precludes accidential displacement of the Ventilating elements 18 from their normal operative positions of Fig. 2, while permitting intentional removal if such is desired for one purpose or another.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects, and while I have shown a preferred embodiment thereof, I wish it to be understood that same may be capable of modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

An elongated handle adapted to overlie the outer surface of a mattress wall or the like and having an enlarged relatively flat anchoring head at one end thereof, said head having a central aperture therethrough and being formed to define an outwardly opening annular recess about said aperture, an anchoring washer overlying Patented May 2, 1961 the inner surface of said wall in concentric relation to the aperture in said head, a gromrnet extending through the respective apertures in said head and anchoring washer and having its outer end crimped over said head marginally of the aperture therein but radially inwardly of the radially outer limits of said recess, and a ventilator element for said grommet, said ventilatorv element comprising an elongated tubular breather pipe extending through said grommet and having friction locking means on its inner end discouraging accidential outward removal thereof from said grommet, the outer end portion of said breather pipe being formed to define an enlarged platelike cover which is snugly received within the recess in said head and substantially fills same, said cover portion having a plurality of circumferentially and radially' spaced axially extending apertures therethrough, said cover portion bridging the crimped outer end of said grommet and having a radially outer portion which rests upon the bottom of said recess.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Perretz r May '#24, 1960 

